Northmont finds scoring touch just in time

dayton daily news
By Marc Pendleton
January 17, 2006

Sophmore provides spark as T-Bolts defeat Roger Bacon

VANDALIA | It was raining missed shots. All Northmont had to show for its misfiring was a jaw-slacking 12-point first half. That was more than coach Jim Brown could take in Monday's Flyin' to the Hoop nonleague high school basketball finale against Roger Bacon. He ripped the Bolts at the break. "It was clean and everything, but I was nasty," he said. All that was ailing Northmont was a glut of injuries wrapped in a crooked shooting touch. But the Thunderbolts might have found themselves in an improbable 59-56 overtime win. "I'm befuddled by it," Brown said. "I don't think I've ever had a team that's struggled to score like this, and I've coached 35 years. And (Monday) was the worst."

Despite a glossy 9-3 record, the Bolts' season might have been saved by the insertion of Brian Tolle. The sophomore was called up to varsity two games ago, but saw his first action against Bacon. It took him just 15 seconds to launch. Although he missed his first three shots, he torched the Spartans with 13 fourth-quarter points. His unlikely banker from the key pulled the Bolts within 48-47 and another from the key with :35 left knotted it at 50-all and forced OT. "I was nervous the first half when I first got in," Tolle said. "(Coach Brown) told me I was one of the best shooters out here, and just to shoot the ball whenever I get a chance." That's just the kind of trigger-happy presence that has been missing since leading scorer Danny Gudorf broke his left elbow during a holiday defeat of Miamisburg. Logan Palsgrove has been lost all season to a knee injury and Clay Belton is just now recovering from a severe ankle sprain just one minute into the season that forced him to miss a month of practice. A couple of Justin Watkins free throws with 15.7 seconds left sealed the win. Andrew Parrish led Northmont with 18 points and sub David Chase added 15 second-half points. All that inspired second-half punch was needed to overcome a 43-30 fourth-quarter deficit.

The win was a timely salve after falling 63-44 to 8-1 Stebbins last Saturday. The Bolts also have lost to 8-2 Fairmont, but have beaten giant-killer Centerville and Beavercreek. Go figure. "I'm just so proud of the fact that they didn't give up," Brown said.